ADEOYE ADENIYI’ S GLORIOUS EXIT
Abiodun Alao pays tribute to Adeniyi, professor of Paediatrics and former vice-chancellor, University of Ilorin
On 2nd September 2018, THISDAY published a memorial tribute I wrote for Adedayo Adeniyi, who died on 14th August 2018. Today, I complete the circle of a truly remarkable Nigerian couple. On 4th September 2019, Professor Adeoye Adeniyi, Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics and former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, died at the age of 95.
The inseparability of the couple had made many to predict shortly after Grandma’s death, that Grandpa would not be long in following. Those who had anticipated Grandpa’s demise shortly after Grandma’s death could not really be accused of wicked thoughts, as both were married in every sense of the word: physically, emotionally and spiritually for 65 years.
Every academic discipline has its own set of people that can be classified as the “originals”. These are those who defined the discipline and established standards by which national contributions are gauged: History has the Ade Ajayis, and the Dikes; Geography has the Mabogunjes, Literature, the Soyinkas; Education, the Fafunwas; Psychiatry, the Lambos, International Relations, the Jide Alukos, etc. Adeoye Adeniyi, along with people like the late Antia and Olikoye Ransome Kuti, were the “Originals” in Paediatrics.
As noted in my tributes to Grandma, my access to Grandpa Adeniyi was through one of my closest friends, Dotun, his son. Again, like it was with Grandma. I did not get to meet Grandpa during my salad days with Dotun at the Federal Government College Ilorin and the University of Ibadan. My first contact with him was actually on telephone. Shortly after I arrived England in October 1987, I called Dotun in Nigeria (these were decades before GSM) and Grandpa was the one that picked the land-line phone. He simply introduced himself as “Adeoye Adeniyi”, but I was in no doubt as to whom I was speaking with. Even on the phone, his polish-ness and urbaneness were distinct, but I was to see the full manifestations when we finally met shortly afterwards.
Our inaugural meeting was in London and it was quite interesting. He wondered why I was doing a doctorate in War Studies and confessed that he did not even know that such field existed. He took me to task to justify the need for the existence of the discipline. While conceding to him that war in unfortunate and quite unpleasant, I told him that nothing would stop it from reoccurring. Consequently, some people have to study, how, if it does occur again, (as it is bound to), it can be fought more neatly, more intelligently, and above all, more decisively. I was not sure I convinced him with the spirited defence of my course of study.
Of course, my standing in the academic world does not qualify me to write a memorial testimonial for Professor Adeniyi. Indeed, if I had been brilliant enough to have studied medicine, I would only have been “breasting the tape” to qualify as one of his immediate “academic children”, as I would only have matriculated in 1977 - long after he had been producing medical doctors! So, this contribution to the obituary chorus should not be considered a Memorial Testimonial. It is just some personal opinions from my knowledge of an individual I rate as one of the finest human beings I have ever met.
Adeoye Adeniyi’s life was encapsulated around four themes: His Faith, Humanity, His family and Scholarship. His love for his God was phenomena. He was a Baptist of the old original order. He loved humanity, going back to the hospital to do pro-bono services after retirement. His honorific appellation across the University was ‘Baba Agbalagba’. The literary translation of this is “The elderly father”, but the implied interpretation is “the Elderly father embedded with implicit wisdom, erudition and experience”.
Grandpa Adeniyi treated everyone with dignity and respect. He was not eager to receive the traditional obeisance of kneeling down or prostrating from his children, their spouses or their friends, before extending a warm handshake to them. This is gesture of progressive thinking that many in his generation and even those younger than him would not countenance! Never, did he attempt to use age to intimidate younger people into conformity during discussions. With calm and convincing demeanour, he puts his views across. By the time he finished making his point, one is often left with no choice than to be fascinated by the scintillating nature of his wisdom and by the rare speed at which his brain worked!
In discussing Professor Adeniyi’s scholarship, two things struck me. The first was the diversity of his erudition. Here was a professor of Paediatrics that took interest in reading about history of wars! He read with keen interest a book I wrote on the Mau-Mau rebellion in Kenya and asked many questions that showed that he had previous knowledge of the revolt. He was humble in seeking knowledge, especially on issues outside his field. The second was his determination to update his knowledge about recent development that connects to his field. Again, I have a personal experience here. Sometimes in 2017, my Department published a book on the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone and I gave him a copy. Within three days he had read the book and was ready to discuss it. For a man in his 90s to devour a 300-page book in three days is not an easy task. Again, far more than any other people of his age, Grandpa Adeniyi was at home with technology. He uses i-pad and was a Guru in WhatsApp, including the usages of Emojis.
Integrity was also one thing that was the hallmark of Professor Adeniyi. Indeed, if people of my generation have all over our bodies the amount of integrity he had on his smallest finger, then our lives would have been better for it. Never did Adeoye Adeniyi walk in the neighbourhood of dirt!
Anyone who ever met Professor Adeoye could also not but be amazed at his urbane characteristic. With a Nightingalian voice, he speaks undiluted English effortlessly. Indeed, if he were not a Paediatrician, he could have been a Professor on English Language specialising in diction or morphology.
His students who later became professors were ever so demonstrative in their respect for him. To individuals like Professors Gbenga Mokuolu, Ernest Kolade, Wahab Johnson, and Gboyega Fawole, I say, ‘E ku aseyinde Baba o’. May your “academic children” do the same for you as you all grow into your 90s!
This is also an opportunity for me to thank Grandpa for his extension of friendship to me, best demonstrated by his travelling from Ilorin to Ile-Ife to attend my wedding in July 1991 and with the warm mail he sent to me after I was promoted Professor at the University of London.
IF PEOPLE OF MY GENERATION HAVE ALL OVER OUR BODIES THE AMOUNT OF INTEGRITY HE HAD ON HIS SMALLEST FINGER, THEN OUR LIVES WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR IT. NEVER DID ADEOYE ADENIYI WALK IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF DIRT!